530 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



BERRIEN COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



OFFICERS FOR 1892. 



President — Roland Morrill. 



Vice Presidents — W. A. Smith, E. C. Thayer, W. L Kane, S. G 

 Antisdale, L. H. Ruth. 



Secretary and Treasurer — A. J. Knisely. 



The first meeting of the year 1891 was held Jan. 10. After some debate 

 it was resolved to reduce the membership to fifty cents. President Mor- 

 rill offered to give fifty plants each of Warfield and Michel's Early 

 strawberry to each person who was active and regular in his attendance. 

 This offer was published and had the effect of very suddenly depleting 

 Mr. Morrill's stock. 



Jan. 24, 1891. The society met at Grange hall. The election of officers 

 thus resulted : • 



President — R. Morrill; 1st Vice-President, W. A. Smith; 2d, S. H. 

 Comings; 3d, W. A. Brown; 4th, C. H. Farnum; 5th, D. Judson. Secre- 

 tary and Treasurer, A. J. Knisely. 



President Morrill thanked the society and spoke of the importance of 

 keeping up this organization. He spoke of the way in which Oceana 

 county people are pushing and advertising their fruits and lands. We 

 can, if we desire it, have a good representation at the World's Fair. 



Mr. Webster asked about the Warfield and the Michel's Early straw- 

 berries. 



Mr. Morrill said the Warfield is a pistillate and Michel's Early is a 

 staminate and is a good fertilizer for any pistillate. 



W. A. Smith moved that ladies be invited to join this society and 

 attend the meetings without the payment of dues. Carried, 

 i The president said the Grand River Valley society men take their wives 

 and they have good meetings. He thought we ought to keep up our 

 meetings through the summer and maet at each other's homes. 



W. A. Brown said the South Hay«n society has been in existence 

 twenty years and they meet summer and winter. They work together. 

 What one knows they all know. 



S. H. Comings: I think our society owes thanks to our liberal-minded 

 president for his effort to keep the society going. If you will come to my 

 place I will give each one 100 or 200 cranberry plants and you can there 

 see how they grow. 



. Mr. Morrill said: If you will come to my place when berries are get- 

 tiug ripe you will see a good object lesson and see what you want to find 

 out. 



Mr. G. F. Comings talked on pear culture. He said we ought to be able 

 to enjoy this delicious fruit from August to February. There are thou- 

 sands of acres in this (Berrien) and adjoining counties well adapted to 

 the culture of this fruit, that might be doubled in value, in five years if 

 set to pears. The ideal soil for pears is a black sand with dry subsoil. 

 Next to this is a clay loam. Any good corn soil will do for pears. They 

 can be grown profitably. A northern slope is preferable to a souther* 



